AI, Bourbon, & Venture Capital: Can AI Make Better Investment Decisions? | Brad Zapp

What happens when artificial intelligence enters the world of venture capital? In Episode 14 of AI on the Rocks, host Arian Green sits down with Brad Zapp, co-founder and managing partner of Connetic Ventures, to explore how AI and data are changing the way startups, founders, and investment opportunities are evaluated. Brad explains how his experience as an investor led to Windell, an AI-powered venture analysis platform designed to evaluate startups and help identify promising founders. The conversation explores AI in venture capital, cognitive bias, founder psychology, startup investing, and how technology can change the way investors make decisions. Arian and Brad also discuss Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's growing entrepreneurial and AI ecosystem, including the role of universities, local talent, and the region's potential to build an advantage through AI. The conversation eventually turns to the broader economic impact of AI—how automation could disrupt existing jobs, create new ones, and change the skills people need to succeed. At the center of the episode is a bigger question: Can AI help us make better decisions—or are we simply finding new ways to bring our biases into technology? Chapters 01:00 — Growing Up in Northern Kentucky 04:00 — Bourbon, Investing & AI 20:14 — Who Is Brad Zapp? 22:00 — What Is Venture Capital? 28:00 — Why Cincinnati Can Build a Venture Ecosystem 33:00 — Building a Digital VC Firm 43:00 — Can AI Remove Bias From Investing? 50:00 — Wendal: The AI Venture Analyst 55:11 — AI Meets Psychology 01:06:42 — Brad’s ChatGPT Moment 01:10:01 — Building With AI Without Coding 01:20:12 — The Future of AI Builders 01:30:05 — How AI Could Reshape the Economy 01:35:08 — Deflation, UBI & a Near-Zero Cost World 01:40:05 — Can Competition Keep AI Safe? 01:50:42 — Why Technology Takes Longer Than We Think 01:51:46 — Brad’s AI Fear & Hope 01:55:00 — Final Thoughts & The AI on the Rocks Toast 🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS - AI can help investors evaluate startups at scale. - Human decision-making is affected by cognitive biases. - Founder psychology can be an important part of startup evaluation. - AI may create new advantages for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. - Automation could eliminate some jobs while creating entirely new ones. - AI still requires human thinkers and creators. 💡 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - How AI is being used in venture capital - Why investor bias can affect startup decisions - How Windell evaluates founders and startups - Why founder psychology matters in venture investing - How AI could reshape jobs and the economy - Why Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky could benefit from AI ⚙️ FRAMEWORKS & STRATEGIES DISCUSSED ● AI-Powered Investment Analysis — Using AI to process startup information and support investment decisions. ● Bias Reduction — Using data and AI to challenge the cognitive biases that naturally influence human decisions. ● Founder Psychology — Looking beyond the business idea to understand the traits and behaviors that can influence startup outcomes. ● Network Expansion — Using AI to identify founders outside traditional investor networks and connections. ● Human + AI Decision-Making — Using AI to expand analysis while keeping human judgment involved. 👀 WHO SHOULD WATCH ● Entrepreneurs & startup founders ● Venture capitalists & investors ● Business leaders ● AI professionals ● Aspiring entrepreneurs ● Anyone interested in startups, investing, and the future of work 👤 ABOUT BRAD ZAPP Brad Zapp is the co-founder and managing partner of Connetic Ventures, an AI-powered venture capital firm focused on early-stage companies. He is also a co-founder of Wendal, an AI venture analysis platform that evaluates startups and founders. Brad began investing as an angel investor in 2015 and later moved into institutional venture capital. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Northern Kentucky University Board of Regents. 🏷️ TOPIC AI in Venture Capital, Startup Investing, Founder Psychology, Cognitive Bias, AI & the Future of Work 🎙️ HOST & GUEST Host: Arian Green — Host of AI on the Rocks LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/arian-green-70794b6a Website: aiontherocks.nky.ai Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariangreen11?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Guest: Brad Zapp — Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Connetic Ventures; Co-Founder, Windell LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zapper Website: https://www.vcafx.com/ AI on the Rocks | Real talk about AI, from people with something at stake. #aiontherockstv #AIONTHEROCKSTV #artificialintelligence #aiprivacy #dataprivacy #responsibleai #leadership #cincinnati #northernkentucky #venturecapital #startups #podcast